Enzyme activities in germinating Mungbean (Phaseolus aureus) seeds and their relation with promoter and inhibitors of protein synthesis

Summary Assay of the hydrolyzing enzyme levels, viz.-amylase, adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), phytase and ribonuclease (RNase) in the germinating Mungbean (Phaseolus aureus) seeds is made to evaluate the degree of substrate breakdown at different periods of germination. In addition to the cotyledons, the principal site of hydrolases, an evidence of their occurrence in the growing embryo has been presented. Enzyme activities in storage tissues, i. e. cotyledons and growing embryo, i. e. axis rise to a maximum sometime between initial and final phase of germination and then declined.Effects of gibberellic acid, chloramphenicol, actinomycin D, and 5-fluorouracil on such enzymes in cotyledons have also been studied to assess how enzyme synthesis is affected by exogenous GA₃ and protein synthesis inhibitors. While GA₃ is able to promote enzyme activities, particularly,-amylase and RNase, protein synthesis inhibitors remarkably inhibited them indicating net enzyme synthesis during germination.